Dispatches from the front line
of The Greatest Show On Turf
Thursday at the Festival used to offer significantly poorer fare than
the other three days. Not now. Today we witnessed the most competitive
Ryanair Chase and the most intriguing World Hurdle of recent years.
The select Ryanair field was made up of three groups. Horses who preferred not to take on the
unbeatable Sprinter Sacre in yesterday’s Queen Mother, thank you very much,
such as Cue Card (the only horse to get within eight lengths of the ‘Black
Aeroplane’ over fences). Those stepping
down from staying trips, such as Irish raider First Lieutenant. And the middle-distance specialists, like
two-time winner Albertas Run and last year’s hero Riverside Theatre.
Colin Tizzard, Cue Card’s trainer, had thrown down the verbal gauntlet
to his rivals pre-race, daring any of the competitors to go with his
front-running charge. Champion Court it
was who accepted the challenge, pestering Cue Card for much of the first half
of the race and forcing a couple of half-errors. At the three-quarter mark, For Non Stop was
travelling ominously well in behind as Champion Court started to feel the
pinch. Then the favourite First
Lieutenant worked his way into contention and the race was well and truly
on. But still they couldn’t get to the
strong-travelling Cue Card. Three out
and First Lieutenant blundered, knocking the stuffing out of himself; For Non
Stop, too, was labouring. And all the
while, Cue Card pressed on in front.
Another bold leap at the last sealed it, Colin’s son Joe urging his
mount to stay on up the hill to record a nine-length victory over the
favourite. I’d like to say the whole
place went wild but it might just have been me.
In the absence of Big Buck’s, the World
Hurdle was wide open. Would Oscar Whisky
be able to prove he stays three miles in top-grade company? Could Reve De Sivola repeat his performances from
earlier this season on better ground? What
else might surprise us? The answer to the
latter question was this: Solwhit, a multiple Grade One winner in Ireland who's quietly crept back to the top table after a
frustrating couple of years. It could have been an even bigger shock if
Celestial Halo (40/1) had jumped the last cleanly. However, Charles Byrnes’s inmate made no
mistake and powered up the hill to score.
Personally, I’m pleased for Paul Carberry. The winning jockey is, in my untutored eyes,
the most stylish horseman around; not only that, but he was injured yesterday
and must’ve gritted teeth through the pain to pass himself fit today. Well done, Carbs.
By the way, if anyone had a winning
accumulator in the other races today, I should like to hear from you. 20/1, 25/1 and 50/1 would make a lovely
Trixie.
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